Should Animals Talk To Humans?
The "Toy Story" Rules
Let me get right to the point: in my opinion, animals should never talk to humans in improv scenes. It makes reality too strange.
Toy Story Rules
I follow what someone described to me as Toy Story rules. In the movie Toy Story — the toys can all talk to each other, except when there’s humans around. When there’s humans, the toys are just regular toys (Except in one reality-breaking scene in Toy Story 2 — the least popular Toy Story movie!).
So: In improv scenes, animals can talk to each other, if there’s no humans around. As soon as there’s humans around, they’re just regular animals.
Bojack Horseman Rules
As a backup, you can follow BoJack Horseman rules. That was an animated show where animals coexisted in the world with people. BoJack was a horse who was a TV star and he had a mansion in LA. Everyone treated BoJack like a person. That’s just how it was.
So if you’re in an improv scene, and your dog talks to you, then you’re in a BoJack Horseman world, and animals are just like people.
Your other option is to freak out when the animals talk. The dog speaks and the human yells “What??? You can TALK??” This is the most realistic option although I don’t really like it. I’ve just seen it a million times. They work, but I’m bored by it and would rather everyone just be cool with dogs talking.
Talking Giraffes
Talking animals is remarkably common in improv scenes. When you’re teaching level 1 improv, people will start to play animals very very early. I think they prefer it to playing themselves. Dogs, cats, lions, birds, bears and giraffes (giraffes are common in improv scenes!).
And those animals will talk to the humans right away! I used to stop those scenes and forbid it, but now in level 1 classes I let it happen. People seem to communicate better when they’re playing animals. They are more expressive. They listen better. So I let them do it. I save my lecture on Toy Story rules for level 2.
I also should note that audiences seem to love when the animals talk. They also love when people play animals. Sometimes I think the only thing an audience wants is to have people playing animals, talking to each other, and any humans in the scene are just there for animals to talk to.
It might only be the grouchy improv teachers who want the animals to behave normally!
Plugs, Ongoing
High Functioning - Ian Roberts and I do an hour of improv EVERY SATURDAY 7pm at the UCB Annex. See this video for Ian and I showing you where the UCB Annex is.
The World’s Greatest Improv School: The improv school I run with Jim Woods and Sarah Claspell. We’ve got classes online, in LA and even a few in NYC!
How to Be The Greatest Improviser On Earth - My improv book, available at Amazon. Kindle or print. It’s a hodge-podge of advice I wrote in 2016 about doing improv. If you’re broke and want a free PDF version just email me and I’ll send it over.
Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics - Comic book podcast, hosted by my brother Kevin and I. We are covering a little-known 1985 comic Watchmen (yes, THAT Watchmen). Subscribe for bonus episodes!
Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About The Beatles - monthly deep dive on a little known indie band from Liverpool called The Beatles. Subscribe for access to back episodes!
I’d be curious to read a similar exploration of characters who are children. I’ve found a lot of fellow improvisers who will endow themselves as kids (sometimes toddlers!) and it always throws me off. I find it challenging, especially if the expectation is that I too am a young person. It feels especially difficult to play to the top of my intelligence or justify anything. I might be the only one who struggles with this though but it really kind of stymies me.
I love the comparisons to movies (stealing). I allow non verbal animal group scenes, even in truthy classes. They are good for a change of pace and add some energy.